Difference between Medieval and Renaissance Music

• Medieval music did not much have a notational system earlier to write down music.
Hence, it was transmitted orally while renaissance music was supporting the invention of
fugues.

• Medieval music was mostly plainchant; first monophonic then developed into polyphonic.
Renaissance music was largely buoyant melodies.

 MONOPHONIC
-consisting of a single melodic line

 POLYPHONIC
-having two or more independent but harmonically related melodic parts sounding
together

MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PERIOD

MEDIEVAL

 no regular beat
 mixture of consonance and dissonance

 CONSONANCE- notes blend and sound pleasing

 DISSONANCE- notes clash and sound unpleasant
 primarily vocal, instruments were used to accompany vocal lines
 small melodic intervals, sacred melodies often based on church modes

RENAISSANCE

 RHYTHM- gentle flow

 MELODY- easier to perform
 TEXTURE- vocal music was more important than instrumental music
MUSICAL STYLE OF MEDIEVAL

SACRED MUSIC

- It is religious music derived from Jewish and Byzantine religious chants.

GREGORIAN CHANT- It is also known as plain chant, monophonic and has no harmony. It
is also named after Pope Gregory I, during whose papacy, it was collected and codified. He
is the patron of choir boys and girls.

T YPES OF CHANT

 SYLLABIC- one note sung to each syllable of text

 NEUMATIC- small groups of up to five or six notes to sung to a
syllable
 MELISMATIC- long groups of notes set to a single syllable of text

SECULAR MUSIC

- non- religious music

- any music not written for the church

SECULAR MUSIC PERFORMERS

 Minstrels
 Jongleur/ Jongleuress
 Troubadours and Trouveres
MUSIC STYLE OF RENAISSANCE

SACRED MUSIC

THE “MOTET” -plain song, with two or more parts with different words in Latin and French

THE MASS- a polyphonic choral composition made up of five sections

 KYRIE- prayer of mercy

 GLORIA-“ Glory to God on high”
 CREDO- “I believe in one God, the Father almighty”
 SANCTUS- “Holy” song of praise, concludes with “the Hosanna”
 AGNUS DEI- “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world”

SECULAR MUSIC

 CHANSON- a French song usually written for three or four

voices
 MADRIGALS- covered many Italians form

Medieval music was mostly only vocal while renaissance music was of both instrumental
and vocal; flutes, harps, violins were some of the instruments used.

Medieval was mainly the beginning of music history while renaissance developed it into
several new levels with more composers who existed in the era